Lesson Learned: For those of you who notice that I’m a week off schedule getting this new article posted, forgive the delay. For those of you who did not notice, I’m going to work harder… so next time I'm late, (however, I’m going to do my best so that there isn’t a next time) you’ll notice.

Referencing my last article, "Are You an Expert", let’s continue the discussion. What can you do so prospective more clients seek YOU out, virtually eliminating the time you have to spend cold calling.

Remember in the last article, I asked you to name a home improvement specialist … Bob Villa? Why did his name come to mind? Because you’ve read articles they’ve written, you’ve seen them speaking about their subject, you’ve read articles written by others about them … You recognize them as an expert in their field.

If you want to raise yourself above the crowd of competitors and be recognized as an expert at what you do so clients seek you out, try implementing a solid self-promotion effort. There are a number of things you can do, but to get started, build a solid promotion “foundation”. As you get this underway and working you can then build from there. To build a good foundation to your promotion plan you will want to:

1. Get Published – Whether for a magazine, newspaper trade journal or your BLOG, writing articles is one of the first and most important steps to positioning yourself as an expert. I write a bi-weekly (most months!) BLOG article here, for MaineToday.com. I'll also be "officially" launching a Bold Business BLOG on my own website next month. I am surprised at the feedback I’ve received from the articles I’ve posted. Not only do local Maine people contact me but I’ve received emails from as far away as Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia.

2. Get on the Speaking Circuit – Unlike articles, which can feel somewhat removed, speaking gets you up close and personal with prospective clients. Here I am talking to you all and most of you are even awake!

You can be perceived as an expert by simply standing at the front of the room. You're there, they're not. Speaking engagements also give direct feedback and recognition. If your talk is good, your credibility is established instantly; the impression you make speaking is immediate and powerful.

3. Dynamic Networking – notice it isn’t just ‘networking’. Most people think of networking as attending a Chamber After Hours, having a glass of wine chatting with a couple of people and going home – period, the end. Networking isn’t a party, it’s a strategy to meet and get to know people, develop trusting relationships and make connections as often as you can for others. It’s about farming, not hunting. You attend networking events to plant seeds for future harvests, not hunt down and bag a client.

4. Stay in Touch / Follow Up – After you invest the valuable time and effort in the above, you meet people, develop contacts, gather intelligence about potential projects or clients …then what? You would be surprised how few of you actually follow up and take the next step. It’s important to stay in contact with the people that don’t need your service right now. Send them a “nice to meet you”, “saw this article” note, etc. BTW – how many hand written notes have you received lately? You would remember receiving a hand written note, wouldn’t you? You’d remember who sent it, wouldn’t you? Alrighty then. There you go.

These are four basic components to a solid self-promotion plan. Other promotional activities to consider include:

• Engaging PR and the Media
• Leveraging your web presence for more than an online brochure i.e.
--o E-zine (sign up for mine on my website)
--o BLOG (here and on my site is coming soon.)
--o PodCast (still working on this for launch in the 4th quarter)
• Seminar and Workshops
--o Teleclass (Promotion Action from the comfort of your own phone - via teleconference in August)
• Traditional Advertising and the Professional -There IS a role.

It’s not enough if you ARE an expert. You have to be RECOGNIZED as an expert. As the last article noted, you can keep on doing what you’re doing, wait and hope it happens -OR- you can take ACTION and Make It Happen!

Happy Promoting! And remember …Be BOLD. It’s about success and making it happen – and it all starts with a Bold Vision.

All of the topics covered in this article, and more, will be addressed in Bold Vision Consulting's Promotion Action program. On June 29 (DATE FIRM) Bold Vision Consulting will begin offering the 1st of a 2-Series program “Promotion Action - Attract More Clients than You Can Handle by Becoming Recognized as an Expert in Your Field” exclusively for Professionals whose business IS their expertise. Service Professionals interested in more information check out www.PromotionAction.com. This program will be available via teleclass in August. Send an email to info@boldvisionconsulting.com if you would like to be kept updated on this program.

An Ocular Forum introductory meeting is being scheduled for early August. If you are interested in learning more about how you can leverage the experience and success of others and fast forward your business growth, plan on coming to this informative meeting, talk to other Ocular Forum participants to learn about the program and hear their stories of success.

A Bold Business Intensive workshop is being scheduled for late July or August. For more information on BOLD Business, go to www.boldvisionconsulting.com

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